phatic |ˈfatik|adjectivedenoting or relating to language used for general purposes of social interaction, rather than to convey information or ask questions. Utterances such as hello, how are you?and nice morning, isn't it?are phatic. I listened to a lecture yesterday on the use of phatic expressions in speech, where they are very prevalent, and in writing, where they are less so, but can still be used to great effect.